The World

Prime Minister Shimon Peres has urged the granting of more autonomy to Palestinians of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's armed forces radio reported. According to leaked reports of a briefing that Peres gave to a parliamentary committee, he called for the appointment of Arab mayors in the West Bank towns of Hebron, Ramallah and El Bireh. However, Palestinians and some Israelis rejected the idea. Rashid Shawa, deposed Gaza City mayor, called for elections, and Israelis of such disparate views as hard-line Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Labor Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin expressed misgivings.